Wolves in sheep's clothing

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matthew 7:15
There were false prophets around in ancient Israel, there were false prophets around in Jesus’ day, and there are false prophets around today.
How do we spot false prophets? They may look and smell like believers – attending church, giving, saying all the right words – but there is one thing that shows them for what they are: their diet. Rather than eating the same thing as the sheep, they eat other sheep. They seek to divide and conquer and draw a following after themselves, away from the Lord. They seek to profit financially from believers’ naivety. And all the while, they don’t eat the same food as the sheep: the Word of God.
Jesus says we will recognise them by their fruit (Matt. 7:16). Do you know someone who says they are a believer, but gossips about others and seeks to divide a fellowship? They might give lip service but don’t actually participate in things that a believer would. The fruit of their life is division, bitterness, criticism, pride, etc. If so, then that person needs to be confronted and avoided (Tit. 3:10). They have not come to know the Lord, and instead are a thief and a robber (John 10:1).
It’s good for us to continually review the fruit that is coming from our lives. Does it show without a doubt that we belong to the Lord?